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I say this every year, but I am really hoping to slow down so that I can enjoy the month of December. It's always so wonderfully full, but it can also be stressful, chaotic and busy.

With a new baby, now more than ever, I want to leave behind my stressed out, frenzied self in exchange for a calmer, more peaceful Christmas season and hopefully into 2017. I'm working on specific changes to make this happen more in my life in the coming months.

Celebrating Advent is one way that I'm hoping to slow down this Christmas. The set I have this year is beautiful and modern, by Amen Paper Co and designed by Lindsey Letters. Use code ALLIESEIDEL for 10% off.

Allie Seidel

Hi, I'm Allie.

I'm a mom and Pediatric Speech Therapist, and currently spend my days enjoying those two things. Here I write about DESIGN, MOTHERHOOD, STYLE AT HOME and LIFE in Seattle. Click HERE to read more about me. Say hi at allie@allieseidel.com.

That two kid life can be so crazy at times but then are moments like these that catch my breath and make me remember how fast this is all going. The longest shortest time, the all-in years, the wildest and the most joyful and sometimes the most insane. At Lake Almanor earlier this summer we were sharing bucket list items at a family dinner (and my 92 year old grandma said she wanted to go zip lining so that’s the kind of shoes I get to fill) and I thought about my biggest dreams for this season and realized there are many (take that Disneyland trip we didn’t get to last spring, go skiing as a family) but most importantly, I want to parent from the long-term perspective at the front of my mind. It’s so easy to miss the big picture in the middle of our ordinary, mundane, daily lives, and there are a million tiny tasks to attend to and get lost in when raising small children, but when I can remember what the point of all this is anyways, it shifts my parenting in a major way. It’s not easy to do, but I think it changes everything. Parenting mental challenge, accepted. 🙌🏼

Vancouver was a blast! And insane. The moral of the story is: traveling with kids is a lot of work and takes some strategic planning, but the adventure is worth it. My best tips: high hopes, low expectations, and more snacks. 🙌🏼

So ready. Happy first day, Trey! 🎉

We’ve had to stay close to home for so much of this past year that it felt good to get to leave the COUNTRY. Hello BC. Usually we see friends or family when we travel but this is our first vacation just us! Except it’s not really a vacation since we are responsible for the small children we brought. So basically it’s just parenting and managing the tantrums and handing out snacks in a different location. 😂 Still fun. Still glad we came. Vancouver is a super cool city and I’ll share some highlights in my stories. Happy anniversary/first family trip to us. 🎉

Still finding each other amidst the chaos. 😂 It’s our 6th anniversary today! What a year it has been for us. Unexpected, complicated, stressful, but we navigated it together and we now have a stronger, richer marriage for it. Happy to celebrate every year, but especially this one. ✨

As of next week this room will be home to a preschooler! 🍎 We’re starting to think about chores and the message we want to send with that. I’m convinced there is no one right way to parent, even among siblings, and so much of it is trial and error (and we have definitely had our share of errors). 😂 We’re trying out a few things including that beautiful chore chart by @mydaughterflorence_. So far it’s been lighthearted and encouraging and a fun way to focus on the positive. (A good reminder for us all.) 🙌🏼

Three months with this smiley girl who lights up our whole lives. ✨

I know there are no guarantees in life so I never really expected to have a girl, but now that I’m here I just have one question. How many bows is too many? 😂🙋🏻‍♀️🎀😍